A service of Salisbury University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

MD Congressman Objects to Access Fees for C&O Canal Park

Davis Bacon
/
creative commons

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - U.S. Rep. John Delaney is asking the National Park Service to abandon its proposal to impose access fees along the entire, 185-mile length of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

The Maryland Democrat sent the letter Tuesday to agency Director Jon Jarvis. Delaney says the proposed fees would be a burden on his constituents. He says the park's financial challenges should be addressed through the budget and appropriations process.

The park currently charges entrance fees only at Great Falls Tavern in Potomac.

The park service is taking public comment through Feb. 22 on a proposal to collect fees at virtually all access points from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, starting at $3 for a seven-day pass.

The Washington County Commissions also took a position Tuesday against the plan.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.